My favorite Sims expansion is Makin’ Magic. I remember being enticed by its navy blue cover art, which contrasted starkly with the vibrant orange of Superstar and yellow of Vacation. Its twisting Curlz MT-esque font whispered mystery, silhouettes of gnome-like creatures, and a man in a horse mask really added to its distinct ‘wtf’ feel. I immediately fell in love with Vicki Vampiress, the eerie bloodsucker in Magic Town, and have always wondered what a vampire version of the original Sims would look like. Fortunately, Blood Bar Tycoon answers all of those questions, throwing in some extra restaurant management to boot.
In Blood Bar Tycoon you’re thrust into the highly polished shoes of a vampire entrepreneur looking to profit from the buying, selling, and consumption of human blood. Starting as a complete nobody, you’ll have to work your way up from nothing, cementing yourself as the apex predator – of the culinary world, of course.
Blood Bar Tycoon starts similarly to most life games. You acquire your first dusty bistro, clean it up, freshen the decor, then throw the doors open and get ready to be the host with the most. The catch, however, is that running a blood bar is twofold: you have to lure humans in, and keep your vampiric guests happy.
Let’s do it in order of process. First, you or one of your various minions lure a “juicy human” back to your establishment, dragging them down into the facility’s resident detention center. From here, you extract their blood, but you’ll have to get creative depending on the beverages you’re looking to sell. Iced cocktails might require chilled blood, for example, but you’ll need to make sure that you don’t take too much; a nasty accident is bound to make the news, and I hear health inspectors don’t really like finding corpses in the kitchen.
Blood is now harvested, and you can start shaking cocktails and mixing drinks. As your establishment grows in popularity, you can begin your expansion across Crimson City, dominating the nightlife and running your competitors out of town. Automate your systems Cities Skylines style, get your minions to clean up messes, and, best of all, reap all of the rewards.
Speaking of competition, however, there are various elder vampires that you’ll need to schmooze and booze in order to keep your blossoming business thriving. These ancient creatures have refined, very specific tastes, so you’ll do well to stock up on the best ingredients if you’re looking to win their favor. Fail to impress, and they’ll begin plotting your demise – typical vampire things.
While I wait impatiently for the Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 release date to be revealed, Blood Bar Tycoon is the perfect way to while away what feels like countless hours. Blending the nostalgia of The Sims with that dark, gothic aesthetic that I love, I really can’t wait to start building my vampiric gourmet empire.
Blood Bar Tycoon is out now on Steam, and is currently 20% off to celebrate launch. You can pick it up for $15.99 / £13.59 until Tuesday February 11. Just click the link right here – go on, I dare you.
If you, like me, have found yourself in full Sims mode following the Steam launch, check out our list of all the best management games. Alternatively, if you’re also obsessed with all things eerie and bloodsucking, here’s our guide to all the best vampire games.
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